Zipper Studios

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the chief business officer at Prodigy IT Solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Zipper Studios?

We needed help with mobile app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve worked on multiple projects with them in which they developed app solutions for our clients. They’re our go-to partner for projects that require mobile knowledge. We have even discussed moving into an open partnership where we will present them as a separate brand and trusted partner so our clients will know that we work with an external company.

We start by building the requirement stack, followed by wireframing, design, and development. During that process, depending on who is more available and who has better business knowledge, we may complement each other or leave certain things on one side only.

What is the team composition?

I know of four people who work on our projects. Filip (Co-Founder, Zipper Studios) has been my main point of contact from the beginning, and he always responds to technical issues. I have another contact there as well.

How did you come to work with Zipper Studios?

I was introduced to Filip through an employee from my previous company. We held a couple of meetings to get to know each other and to figure out which technology options they offered. It’s common practice here that whenever a new company emerges, we get to know them to see how we can complement each other’s services.

We had a team of four people from our side who were looking at different companies and discussed our options when it came to pricing and the competency and seniority of potential partners. However, none of the other companies we considered were specialized in mobile-only.

Zipper Studios showed me their portfolio and what they did or did not do for different projects. We tried a couple of calls for tenders, and I saw how Zipper Studios responded. They were always prompt and on time and always highlighted what the issues were. They seemed to ask the right questions from the technical and business side, as well as business logic.

We put those things head to head and agreed that they seemed like a good fit. I was quite happy with them and didn’t feel the need to have to look for anyone else.

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent less than $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in 2018 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We have constant communication with the customers that we serve, and we always check if they are happy with the results. Because we look into their business needs effectively, we check if there is a way that we can measure the success of our solutions. Every client has been quite happy. Apart from normal small change requests, we haven’t had any major complaints. I have always trusted Filip and Zipper Studios has always delivered on their promises.

How did Zipper Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

They have done well—they hit our deadlines and we never had to debate on the price. In my experience, whenever a company is able to take a project budget and make it work for them, it means that they can well estimate the overall scope of the work, the timeline, and the financial costs.

We were in touch with each other multiple times a day based on need. There were times where we didn’t have projects for a while, but we still met for a coffee to discuss how things were going.

When we worked together, their response time was more than satisfying. For example, if I needed to contact them late in the evening because of an urgent request from a client, Filip always answered me on WhatsApp.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by the quality and speed of their delivery as well as their business knowledge. They look at a request and can foresee any future problems or issues. When they begin a project, they know they can deliver.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I haven’t had any bad experiences with them so far. There were times I knew they were busy, and if I went to them with new requests, it took some time to get the results. I understand they are a separate company and they need to do their other signed contracts before helping me with estimations or brainstorming on possible solutions.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know what you want and get your idea validated first to make life easier. With superficial requirements, the process can last forever until everyone is settled on the idea from a technical point of view and a business point of view. Other than that, when it comes to working with Zipper, I wouldn’t give any specific advice. Try them out.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of Intel4Patriam. Our company does political risk, geopolitical analysis, cybersecurity, risk assessment, and anything related to this area.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Zipper Studios?

We needed help developing an internal project management tool.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Zipper Studios developed our project management tool. Our agencies operate internationally across several people spread around the world. This can cause difficulties if without a well-established system. 

To rectify this, their team built a centralized system where we could exchange files, store contact names and addresses, and monitor anything that has to do with logistical support and management. The tool also served as a mode of communication between agencies.

What is the team composition?

We worked with the general manager from Zipper Studios, and they also allocated between 3–5 people.

How did you come to work with Zipper Studios?

I had an ex-business partner who was involved with Zipper Studios, and he connected me to the general manager. At the time, I was also in touch with a German company, but they were positioned in the Western European market, so their price was significantly higher than Zipper Studios’. 

In the end, I chose Zipper Studios because I liked the conversation I had with them as well as the way we interacted.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent around $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from July–November 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

My team and I are very satisfied with the project management tool that they’d developed. Before, it was challenging to communicate across agencies for certain projects, but now it’s much easier to coordinate between teams.

How did Zipper Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great. We mostly communicated through Skype and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really appreciated how flexible they were in terms of my needs. They were very careful about asking me exactly what I needed and identifying the purpose of the tool. They always tried to present solutions that were simple, effective, and cost-efficient.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t have anything in mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d highly recommend them to companies that are looking for quality service, flexibility, and a well-performing product. They deliver strong output, but their price is lower than other companies.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a software development company. We’re also starting to develop mobile apps.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Zipper Studios?

They helped us build one of our mobile apps since we were just starting out at the time.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Zipper Studios helped us create native iOS and Android apps from scratch. Our team came up with the idea, but they offered all the development and maintenance services. They guided us through the process as they completed the build.

Once it’s launched, the app will allow users to accept and complete challenges to received rewards. They can monetize activities they do in real life. It’ll have a news feed, a map, a page where users can join challenges, and a camera that allows for photo sharing and editing. Users will also have the chance to set up their own profile where they can manage their challenges. We’ll be launching the app soon. At this point, we’re reviewing it for bugs.

What is the team composition?

There were between 8–12 people constantly working on the app. Sometimes, we would work with the whole team, but we usually were in direct contact with 2–3 of them.

How did you come to work with Zipper Studios?

I was referred to them by a friend of mine after I came up with the idea for the app. They had good reviews, so we set up a call. After a successful meeting with them, I decided to hire them for the project.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about €40,000 (approximately $44,000 USD). I expect that investment to grow with our engagement with them in 2020.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in August 2018, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

As of now, we have about 40 people using the app and providing us with feedback. So far, all the feedback has been positive—they’re all satisfied with the app. Additionally, they’ve been able to make some suggestions to help us optimize the frontend. Even the developers at my office were very happy with the product. 

How did Zipper Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

They offered great advice to us, which was important for us as we were just starting out. No matter the communication platform—phone, Skype, or Slack— they were very easy to reach.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were great communicators with helpful advice. I appreciate their fairness in all of their business processes from the start.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They were late for a delivery once, but it never happened again after we spoke about it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be conscious and open about your goals for the direction of the project. They’ll be able to achieve more in less time that way.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of a white label live video streaming platform. With our partners, our startup has developed 3,000,000 lines of code for the platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Zipper Studios?

We needed a development partner to help us further develop some of the app’s features.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They worked largely on the frontend of the web app, focusing on UX. Although, their team also made our web-based platform mobile responsive in their development work. 

What is the team composition?

They allocated 1–5 developers for the project, depending on the functionality we were building. We organized that with them on our end.

How did you come to work with Zipper Studios?

I’ve known Radu (Partner & Strategy Manager, Zipper Studios) for five years now. Like ours, their team is located in Romania and has worked collaboratively with my team before.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested just above $30,000 for their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project lasted from March–June 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Our partnership was a success, and they had a big impact on our business. All of our clients now use the delivered features they constructed. With them, we’ve seen greater visibility and growth. Compared to what we’ve spent developing the platform in the past, we’ve seen a great ROI with Zipper Studios.

How did Zipper Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

My partner described them as an excellent collaborator and communicator. They were on top of providing updates and fixing bugs. Additionally, they used Jira to make sure everything went smoothly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

For the price they charge, Zipper Studios offers a superior service. We’re happy about having a local partner that’s very experienced. They know how to make a great, successful product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re great partners who have the capability to take on large projects.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them a chance to work broadly to address your challenge. Their technical specialists, but also have experience in product development, business strategy, sales, and marketing. Tap into their knowledge to get the best solution possible.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of a multi-service platform based on blockchain technology. The platform will try to bring people together and offer them an passive income for their human data as property.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Zipper Studios?

Zipper Studios is doing the redesign for our mobile client. They've created the UI/UX design in Sketch and implemented it in our Android app.

What were your goals for this project?

The problem on our app was the design and we decided to change it, this app is part of an blockchain platform that will connect users to our services. This new design make us more confident in our project.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I came in contact with one of their business managers after someone from my network recommended them. They were professionals and their portfolio and previous clients definitely reflected that.

Describe the project in detail.

We have a native Android app that need redesign of UI/UX. Zipper Studios is doing the redesign and implemented it in our Android app, this app is part of an blockchain platform that will connect users to our services.

What was the team composition?

We worked with 1 project manager, 1 developer and 1 designer from Zipper Studios. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Before working with Zipper Studios, I hired another remote team in the past but that experience was a complete disappointment. I needed an MVP delivered fast because I was looking to get a round of investment. Zipper Studios not only helped us cross the finish line but they understood our product’s needs, got involved and delivered the MVP very efficiently.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow between us was very effective. We had only one point of contact (Vlad, Co-Founder) who managed the whole team by creating and assigning tasks.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The communication was excellent, they were always available and they truly understood the product. It really felt like they were part of the team.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can’t see any ways they could improve. The communication and development process went so smooth, I couldn’t have hoped for anything better.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of GoHustly. We’re developing a booking engine for hotels.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Zipper Studios?

My company has outsourced all development of our hotel booking platform to Zipper Studios.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Zipper Studios built the front- and backends of my platform from scratch using AngularJS and AMP HTML. We’re using Firebase, and there are some cloud functions.

Zipper Studios developed backend features that allow hotels to list all of their room types, restrictions, rates, and so on, along with an availability calendar. We connected that to the frontend, where users enter information—including check-in and check-out dates, the number of people in the room, room type, and personal and payment information—to book a room.

What is the team composition?

I primarily worked with Zipper Studio’s CTO and project manager. They also assigned one designer, two developers, and someone who helped with staff management and paperwork. We had an extra developer at one point, but we realized we didn’t need him.

How did you come to work with Zipper Studios?

I had the chance to meet them in person while I was in Sweden. Their CTO flew there to visit me, and we discussed everything over a few days. We were on the same page, so I decided to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent around $30,000 on their services so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Zipper Studios in June 2017, and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The system looks great; it has a very nice UI. It’s quite stable and fast, given that Google backs the technology we're using.

How did Zipper Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

They have understood everything from the beginning, and they provide the technical expertise I need. We had to change the project manager when he couldn’t cope with the requirements. However, before we could say anything, the CTO noticed and made the decision at the right time. We’re using Slack, Skype, email, and phone for communication, and Trello for project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their involvement is their most impressive attribute. They care about the project, and they help with not only developing the product but also selling it. They’re more like a part of the company and less like an extension of my team. They simply care.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients should remain involved, weekly if not daily, and not just send requirements and expect results. It’s important to remain involved throughout the development process, unless Zipper Studios has a very clear picture of what the product should look like.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO and a co-founder of AskData, a startup aiming to simplify the interactions between humans and data. We help people search through data using natural language and using channels such as Slack, mobile and web apps, and other tools.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Zipper Studios?

We needed help to develop our mobile client for customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Zipper Studios is developing our mobile client. We’re designing the UI/UX, and Zipper Studios oversees the development of the mobile apps using that UI/UX. They’re building the apps as native using Java and Objective-C.
 
The platform has a chat feature that employs text-to-speech and speech-to-text functionalities. The interface provides a feed containing the information requested by the user or the information the system wants to send to the user. The main tab is a kind of social media feed that contains different information relevant to the user. We also have an agent chat tab and a push notifications system.
 
What is the team composition?

We work with 2–4 developers from Zipper Studios, depending on how many hours a feature requires and when we need it delivered. We prioritize key features. Filip (Co-Founder, Zipper Studios) is our main contact and lead developer. I don’t need to communicate with the other team members.
 
How did you come to work with Zipper Studios?

We were using freelance developers from Romania for our projects, and one of them recommended Zipper Studios to us. After one month of tests, we gave the team a contract.
 
How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $25,000–$50,000 so far.
 
What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Zipper Studios in December 2018, and the collaboration is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We’re working with a few companies now, and we’re also working with customers to improve the interface of the app. We’re still in the startup phase of the project, but the feedback on the interface has been generally good.
 
How did Zipper Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

Zipper Studios is performing very well. We use some tools to improve communication and project management, including Jira and Slack. We’re using a scrum methodology.
 
What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve worked with other developers in the past without any success. Zipper Studios has been our partner for a core part of the platform.
 
Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind.
 
Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Use scrum principles. Zipper Studios is an excellent company to choose for this type of work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of RunLive Inc., a sports tech startup. Our first product is a running app that allows users to connect to each other in real time and run together, no matter where they are in the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Zipper Studios?

We had a firm build our iOS app, but we needed a new partner to improve the code and also build an Android version.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Zipper Studios migrated the iOS code from Objective-C to Swift, cleaning up the code and making it more stable. They fixed quite a few bugs and also added some new features and improved the UX. They built the Android version from scratch, implementing the same types of features found in the iOS version. The iOS app is currently available in the App Store, and the Android app is about 70% finished.

Users enter how far they want to run, and the app connects them with someone in real time to run with. The app has a built-in rewards store and live leaderboard, and users can even schedule runs instead of doing it at the moment. They can also invite people to join the app through a built-in feature.

What is the team composition?

They provide one main point of contact, three Android developers, and two iOS developers.

How did you come to work with Zipper Studios?

They were a referral. I met them and was confident they could do the work, so I hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We partnered in November 2018, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Before hiring Zipper Studios, the iOS app was about 70% stable, but now it’s about 95%. They addressed concerns the previous developer wouldn’t, making the app more stable, sustainable, and scalable. Now that we’ve fixed some bugs and added features, users are spending more time in the app.

How did Zipper Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

They manage the team well and are highly organized, which makes my job much easier. We use Trello to manage tasks, Slack to communicate, and Fabric to track bugs.  They’re incredibly flexible, adjusting to my schedule and time zone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re the most professional offshore partner I’ve ever worked with, and they have phenomenal communication. They follow up regularly and ensure the project is progressing smoothly, quickly addressing any concerns. Unlike other agencies, they take the time to understand our project goals and vision. They’re not just technically competent, but they also know how to make the best version of your product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t see any ways they could improve.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Maintain open communication and give them as much information as possible. The more they know about your product, the better the partnership will be.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

CEO of Health Tech Media GmbH, enabling Health & Health Tech Companies to target their audience & gain new customers through high engagement platforms.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Zipper Studios, and what were your goals?

We wanted to relaunch or Mobile and Webapplication of Gesundheitskompass.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

By recommendation and high level of expertise during our fist calls.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We wanted to rebuild from scratch or mobile app and web application based on the learnings what went well in our previous versions. Concept and design was done in-house. Development with Zipper.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

4: iOS Developer, Android Developer, Backend Developer, Frontend Developer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We are still in development, but the first results are very gratifying.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We moved a lot of the project management also to Zipper. Also the communication and cooperation with external resources (Designers) went great.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They were always very results-oriented, pragmatic, and problem-solving.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Nothing

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We create software for organizing fishing competitions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Zipper Studios?

Momeala - create fishing competitions and follow live ranking

What were your goals for this project?

App to market

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Recommendation

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

- design - iOS development - Android development - docker backend

What was the team composition?

7 developers + 2 qa. I did the product management.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

We launched successfully with very few delays.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

i helped

What did you find most impressive about this company?

young and energetic people.

Are there any areas for improvement?

of course, they should always strive to improve